PMD: The Dreamstone - Bonus Episodes
by Slink34884
Summary: A series of one-shots and bonus chapters from the universe of Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: The Dreamstone.
1. Aftermath

_Welcome everyone! _

_This chapter is the first in a series of one shots. Most, if not all of them will take place in the same universe and timeline as my main story, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: The Dreamstone. If you are unfamiliar, it would probably be best for you to check there first.  
_

_This first chapter contains spoilers for chapters **14** and **15** of The Dreamstone. Read at your own risk._

_Enjoy, and keep a lookout for more chapters in the future. I will attempt to get one out a month alongside the main chapter.  
_

_Everybody ready? Hobey-ho, let's go!_

* * *

There was nothing I could do. Like always there wasn't anything I could do. By the time I got to the vault Smoke was already there, Stanley was already dead, and the Fennekin was already gone.

I could only sit there silently, unable to look away from the body of my teammate, my friend. For better or worse, Smoke had draped a thick sheet over Stanley's corpse, but from the scent in the air, the scorch marks on the walls and floors, and the mangled shape of the body underneath the cloth I knew exactly what Stanley had been reduced to.

"There's no way," my voice cracked. Smoke poked his head out of the vault to regard me. Honestly, I'm not sure if I was talking to him, or trying to convince myself.

"The proof is lying on the floor in front of you," Smoke hissed at me.

"But...but… Eve, all of them... they'd never kill anyone. They wouldn't. I-"

"Don't be stupid Shane" Smoke growled, "you know as well as I do that your Espeon wasn't the one spewing flames."

"No, this has to be a trick!" I was frantic. I looked around looking for something. "Moon, let me out! This isn't funny! Why are you doing this to me?" I spun on the spot, searching for inconsistencies, flaws, anything that would prove this was simply an illusion, fake.

A pinch in the back of my neck shocked me from my despair as I was yanked off of my feet. The next thing I knew I was looking into Smoke's red eyes. "You idiot Umbreon! This isn't an illusion." He spun me around raking back the sheet with his other hand. I got one look at my fallen friend, an image that would remain in my mind for the rest of my life, before I closed my eyes and turned away. Smoke shook me. "No, look at it. Is that real enough for you? Don't you see what that Fennekin did!"

"Let me go!" My back legs kicked out, sharp claws scratching his damp skin. He immediately dropped me, hissing. "What the hell was that?"

"Don't you know," Smoke snarled, clutching at his now-bleeding side, "I'm just trying to make you understand. Another lesson if you will. You don't get to look away from the mess you made!"

"The mess I made?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes. You are the one who stopped me from killing the Fennekin in the first place! You are the one who was too afraid of losing the Navigator to kill the Fennekin when he threatened and blackmailed you." With every accusation he took another angry step towards me. "And what is worse not only did he kill Stanley because of you, but with the help of your Espeon and the Navigator he got into our Vault. Care to measure a guess as to what he took? Because of you he has three out of the four keys, and you and I both know there is no way for us to get the fourth! Yes Shane, the mess you made, and it is all your fault!"

At his last word a pulse of water burst from him. I was immediately caught up in the wave, water filling my nose and mouth before the pulse slammed me back into a pile of twisted and broken shelves. The sharp metal scratched me horribly, before I could escape.

"Shane?" Smoke's aggressive air vanished instantly as he realized what he had done. It was too late though. I sent a Dark Pulse at him in return, catching him in the middle of his torso. By the time he regained his feet, I was already gone.

I stormed down the hallway of the base, away from Smoke, away from what remained of Stanley. Part of me wanted to just keep going, away from the Hatred, away from it all. Just keep going until I found a quiet spot to curl up and vanish.

"Shane?" a voice called. My hackles raised. I was prepared to scream, to lash out against whoever dared interrupt me, but I softened when I saw who had spoken. A tiny Weepingbell, one of our newest recruits was slumped against the floor. Several patches of her body were discolored, like bruises. Her left leaf was frayed nearly half of it missing, and nearby there was a pile of rubble that I realized used to be a doorway.

"Oh, hello there...uh," I grimaced. I had no idea of her name.

"I didn't expect you to know my name. We've never actually talked before," the flower sighed. "My name is Katie. It really is nice to meet you."

I looked her up and down once again, taking note once again of her injuries. "Hello Katie. Are you... are you okay? No offense intended, but you don't look so good. I can take you to the Hospital if you want, or I could send someone down here to check up on you if you'd prefer."

Katie grimaced, her pale, pink lips twisting into a frown. "There was a Froslass that came through during the raid. Froze me to the wall. I'll be fine in a couple days. No, I'm just waiting for Gunner to come by. Do you know him? He's a Machoke in the builder group? He said he'd help clear some of this rubble out of my doorway so I can grab a couple of things while I wait for repairs or relocation."

I shifted uncomfortably. All I wanted to do was run and hide, but I knew I couldn't. I was a leader, I needed to lead. "Are- do you have a place to stay while you wait? Because…" I hesitated. Stanley hadn't been the only casualty during the raid. A few more of us had been killed. The leader of housing among them. It could be weeks before the people could elect a replacement, and probably several more before all of the damage could be repaired and everyone displaced got back to normal.

"I appreciate the offer," Katie gave a small smile. "Mrs. Roserade insisted I stay with her. I just hoped I could talk with you, or any other leader for that matter."

"Why is that?"

She stared up at me, her eyes wide, filled with worry. Deep inside I felt my stomach lurch. She was just younger than I was when I joined the Hatred. I didn't know much about her story, but I knew that she had run away from home and had run across one of our teams on the road to Lapras Port. She'd been through so much, and then this. "I just wanted to know… do we have a plan? I mean the Expedition Society knows where we are now. They could attack again at any time. And what happened to the Fennekin? Did they escape?"

I bit my tongue. Only the leaders knew about the vault, and the machine inside. Of course, I didn't know exactly how it worked, but I knew that it could somehow move the Base to a safe place. That was one problem solved at least. The remaining leaders had a meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning to come up with a plan, but I had no idea what we were going to do.

As for the Fennekin… what was I supposed to say?

_Your fault._

_Your fault._

_Your fault._

"We are working on a plan," I began, measuring my words carefully, "but I can assure you. You are safe now, I promise. We won't let anything like this happen again." Internally I prayed that she wouldn't focus on the Fennekin. The Weepinbell sagged once again, although this time it seemed to be from relief, not defeat.

"Thank Arceus," she muttered to herself. "Thank you, Shane. I really appreciate this. I'm glad we have people like you to keep us safe." I flinched at those words. I knew she hadn't meant anything by it, but Stanley had said that exact same thing to me. Because I had done such a good job of it, I thought bitterly.

I pushed that thought down. "Glad I could help," I muttered, my mouth feeling dry. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" I asked.

"No but thank you." She floated off, planting her lips just for a moment on the ring on my forehead. I knew that it was a traditional sign of friendship among Weepinbell and their line, but I still flinched at her touch. I gave her a strained smile before I started off once again.

It was nearly midnight by the time I got back to my room that night. I had spent several hours wandering the base, checking up on the people. A few of the other leaders were wandering around as well, those whose jobs weren't vital to the survival of the base. It did the people well to see us walking around and getting reassurance. I was happy to help, but more importantly I was happy to distract myself. Keeping myself busy helped keep my anger and pain away. I couldn't afford to break down, not now.

I only stopped when a siren rang through the base. It was something that I hadn't heard other than the few drills we had had over the years, but I knew exactly what it meant. The civilians knew it as the "Mandatory Curfew" alarm. Everyone was supposed to be in their rooms (or just a room). Anyone found in the hallways before dawn would face a fine or other punishment. Because of all of the confusion, most of the base's population accepted it as just a precautionary measure.

But those who knew about the machine knew what the siren really meant. The base was going to be moved tonight, and the safest way to do that was with everyone in their rooms. I waited up at my desk for hours, preparing for the meeting the next morning. That is probably the only reason why I knew exactly when the base shifted. It was around three in the morning when I heard a soft hissing noise outside of my door. I didn't dare open it, but I knew that if I had I would've seen a wall of silver fog rushing past.

Small whisps of the fog slipped under my door, but I knew that none of it would actually enter my room. Soon enough, I started to feel dizzy, the world around me starting to blur and echo. I saw two of everything, the copies, or perhaps the originals surrounded by a halo of color. I smelled blood for the briefest second as the world went black and I felt the ground spin beneath me, but then it was over. It was like nothing had happened. The only difference was so slight I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't looking for it. The air had suddenly become extremely humid. We must have moved closer to the ocean.

There was no way I was going to sleep that night, so I was one of the first wandering the halls the next morning, and the first at the council chamber. The place felt dark, despite the fact it had the same lights as any other room in the base. I had no idea why, but the room always seemed oppressive to me. It was probably the location. The giant, circular room was underground, directly beneath the central courtyard. The room was completely silent, and any other time I might have found that peaceful. That morning however I read through my notes and materials again, despite the fact that at this point I had almost certainly read them a dozen times over.

If I didn't keep my mind occupied, I might start thinking about… things I didn't want to think about. It didn't help that two of the chairs had been draped in black.

_Your fault._

_Your fault._

_Your fault._

Over the next hour the other leaders drifted in, some with their second in commands, some with notes like mine. A couple limped in on casts, a few more had bandages wrapped around them. I nodded at each one as they came in, but I was absolutely shocked when Sparkle slowly drifted in. Her cheeks were deathly pale, almost white, and her blue eyes seemed to have turned purple.

She flopped into the chair beside me, staring out at the center of the table blankly. "Sparkle, are you okay? What are you doing here?" She didn't say anything, instead she gestured to one of the black draped chairs.

"I was the highest-ranking person who could be missed. The Society did a number on our electrical system." She whispered. I had no words; I didn't know that the old Electabuzz had been killed. I hadn't been particularly close to him, but I knew that Sparkle was. In fact, he had been the one to introduce us, and he had been the one to suggest she go with us to help capture the Fennekin.

"I'm so sorry," I said, knowing that it wasn't enough. I wanted to hug her, but I didn't know if she would be comfortable with that.

"I saw Smoke yesterday," she said, "he told me what happened. I'm sorry as well." She placed her paw on top of mine. "Shane, he told me what he said. None of us blame you. I hope you know that."

"He does," I grumbled, "and honestly, I'm not sure he is wrong." Sparkle stared at me but didn't say anything.

The meeting started once all twelve of us had gathered. The leader in charge of defense, a giant Infernape, stood up pounding his fist on the table to get our attention. "Attention everyone," he said, "it is time for this meeting to begin." On the other side of a table, the leader in charge of our records, a crumbling Claydol, dipped his nub on an arm in ink and began scratching away at the parchment in front of him. "I'd like to begin this meeting by having us compare all information about the raid yesterday to get us all on the same page."

The Infernape pulled a large poster from underneath the table, a detailed map of the base printed on it. "Even I don't know the whole story. What I do know is that the Expedition Society infiltrated here, at the central courtyard. How they got past our sentries, I have no idea. From there the teams broke into squads and attacked several points of the base. From what was reported, the prison, electrical, and food were hit the hardest. Most of the prisoners escaped and... " the Infernape glanced at me, "I was also informed that the Fennekin and the Navigator also escaped. Shane, can you confirm?"

_Your fault_ "Yes," I nodded. "In fact I believe the raid was to create a distraction. My team reported seeing the other members of the Fennekin's team with the Expedition Society forces. I know for a fact that they were freed by one of the leaders of the team."

"I see," I cursed under my breath at the Infernape's neutral expression. I could almost hear anger and disappointment in his voice. "Anything else to report?"

"Yes," I growled thinking back to what Smoke had said. "On their way out, it is our belief that the Fennekin and the Navigator, with the aid of their teammates, broke into the vault and stole the two crystal keys that...were in our custody."

Everyone at the table started muttering, and I sank lower in my chair. "Okay, okay," the Infernape knocked on the table a few more times until the others had calmed down. "Does anyone have anything else to add to this before we move on to assessing the damages?"

A Magmar on the other side of the table raised his hand. "I believe I know how the Society knew so much. I had several of my team report seeing a shiny Luxray among the attacking Society members." I stiffened, my eyes going wide. No, this couldn't possibly get worse, could it? "If this Luxray is who I think he is, he used to be a member of my unit before he was transferred to the Dreamstone unit. All eyes turned to me.

"Shane, would you care to elaborate?"

"Err, that was before my time with the Hatred. My predecessor would have been the one to have assigned the Luxray. I do however know just a little about him." I withdrew a single sheet from my packet of notes. "His name is Leopold, and from my predecessor's files he was sent on a mission, alone, and never came back. Supposedly he wasn't considered a security risk, so nobody ever went after him."

"How do you know about him then?" the Magmar asked.

"Er, we..._recently_ found out that the Fennekin and his team encountered him last year, and…"

"And!" the Infernape glared at me.

"...and we also found that he may have found one of the crystal keys and given it to the Fennekin."

You could have heard a pin drop in the room. The Infernape bared his teeth at me. "And you didn't send a team out to capture him? You didn't warn the rest of us."

I remained silent. There was nothing more to say.

_Your fault._

_Your fault._

_Your fault. _

"Leave him alone," Sparkle suddenly butted in, planting her forepaws on the table, and levitating a few feet so she was at the same height as the Infernape. "It was his predecessor's decision not to pursue the issue, and Shane only recently found out about him. You have the same access to these files that Shane has, Gereth. You are in charge of security; you should've been the one to flag him and send a team to bring him in!"

Thankfully that was the end of that, and after Sparkle and the Milotic in charge of housing were able to talk, the meeting was over. I don't think I had ever left a room faster. I was back in my apartment, in my room. Honestly, I debated turning in my resignation.

_Your fault. _

_Your fault._

_Your-_

A sudden knock came from the door. Part of me was tempted to ignore it, but I also knew that if I didn't answer, they'd just come back later. The door was only halfway open when Sparkle burst through.

"Are you okay?" she asked as soon as she was inside.

"Hi Sparkle," I grumbled. "Other than being made to look incompitent in front of the other leaders, yes."

"Shane, you know it wasn't your fault. There is no way anyone could have predicted that, and it's not like any of them did anything to prevent it."

"But I could have prevented it Sparkle." I growled. "I should have let Smoke kill the Fennekin when we first captured him. Then none of this would have happened."

"No," Sparkle snapped. "I don't care what any of them say, not Smoke, not Gereth, nobody. Mercy is never a bad thing. You can't control what the Fennekin did. You couldn't kill anyone."

"That seemed to be what the Fennekin thought too. He told me that he was better because he would never kill. That didn't seem to stop him from…" In an instant all of my anger faded, to be replaced with a cold void. A single tear trickled down my muzzle, then another, and then I couldn't stop.

Sparkle floated down until she was standing on the floor. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders, squeezing me gently. "Shane, it is okay to be sad. It is okay to be angry. But you need to remember that there was nothing you could have done to change things. We all lost people, and we all miss them, but it isn't our faults."

I nodded through my tears, but I didn't say anything. "Do you want me to leave you alone for a while?" I nodded again and Sparkle slowly drifted back up to her normal height. She let herself out as I dragged myself deeper into my apartment until I collapsed onto my couch. Finally, I had run out of things to distract myself with, and the full weight of my grief had finally come crashing down.

I'm not sure how long I laid there in the dark. I didn't cry for very long, and afterward I just reclined, staring at the ceiling, drowning in my thoughts.

How many Pokemon did we lose? By the last count only six casualties. Still the fact that anyone had died had put everyone on edge, and I didn't blame them. This base was supposed to be a haven from the rest of the world. We were supposed to be safe here. If we weren't safe here, was there anywhere we would be safe? Then there were those six. Only three of them had mates within the Hatred, but all of them had friends within our community. I wondered if any of them had family outside of the Hatred who would care that they had died. Probably not.

Stanley wasn't one of the ones with a mate, and so it fell on me his leader to arrange for his burial. Traditionally, we cremated our dead, but it almost felt insulting to do that to him now. I'd find a place to bury him no matter what it took. I wondered if the rest of my team knew that Stanley was dead. Crash would probably take it pretty hard. The two had practically been brothers. In fact, I was certain that the whole team was going to take this death pretty hard…

I sat bolt upright. "Except Smoke." I muttered to myself. Yesterday he hadn't seemed sad that Stanley had been killed. The only emotion the death seemed to have invoked was...anger.

As much as I hated to, I reflected on what the Fennekin had told me only two days ago. How many deaths was Smoke supposedly responsible for? I returned to my office and immediately started searching for Smoke's file. Was this just another distraction? Probably, but I needed an answer.

No sooner did I have the file in hand that another knock came at the door. Of course, I opened it, thinking that Sparkle had come back to check on me. What I wasn't expecting was to find Smoke standing at my door. "Hello Shane," he said, "may I come in?"

I nodded numbly, stepping back so he could come inside. He nodded towards the papers on my desk, falsely assuming they were from my meeting this morning. "I saw Sparkle an hour ago. She told me how the meeting went." He sighed as he sat in one of the chairs by my desk. "Shane, I need to apologize."

"Alright then," I snapped, "get on with it."

He growled at me. "I was upset yesterday, and I said things that I regret. I'm sorry Shane."

"Said something you regret," I repeated. "You accused me of being the cause of the whole raid. How is that 'I was just upset. Try again Smoke!"

"Look. I know this may be hard to believe, but I'm on your side." Smoke snapped. "You've gotta believe me!"

Two days ago, I wouldn't have questioned him. He was the one who had saved me after all. As I looked at him though, my gaze gravitated towards the file on my desk. I didn't have to trust him. It was time for answers.


	2. The Festival of Xerneas

The first time I ever celebrated the Festival of Xerneas was perhaps one of the worst days Abby ever had.

She and Sierra had gone to the market together earlier that day to grab a few things Sierra needed for dinner.

When they got home, Abby scrambled in as soon as possible. Without a word, she stormed through the apartment and into our bedroom without a word.

"Is she okay?" Eve asked an equally bewildered Sierra.

"I have no idea. She was fine a second ago." Sierra walked into the kitchen, dropping his bags on the counter. "She's had these moods before. I promise you that she won't talk to me for a few hours. Might as well leave her alone."

"Are you sure that is the best idea?" Slink asked, staring at the bedroom door.

"Trust me," Sierra sighed, "if I talk to her now she will just end up angrier. When she calms down it will all be fine. You'll see."

I huffed at the others. I hated being alone when I was angry. Maybe Abby really wanted to vent. Sure we'd only known her for three months now, but she was already the best friend I have ever had. What else were friends for, but to complain to?

The others were probably oblivious as I wandered over to the bedroom door and knocked softly with my second tail. "Abby? Abby are you in there? Are you okay?"

"Go away, Vix!" Abby called through the door.

"I just want to talk," I grumbled back. She was being ridiculous.

"No, I don't want to talk to you, or my dad… I don't want to talk to anyone okay?"

In the moment I didn't find it odd that she had specified her dad. I was just trying to figure out how to get her to talk to me. Maybe if I could get her alone…

"Fine then, we don't have to talk. I'm bored. Will you at least play a game with me?"

The door opened, if only just a crack. A brilliant green, red-rimmed eye filled the crack. "I'm serious," Abby grumbled, "I don't want to talk, Vix."

"I'm serious too," I protested, "I just want to play a game, but Slink and Eve won't play. We don't have to talk if you don't want to."

She visibly hesitated before carefully stepping aside and pulling the door all the way open. "Sure, I guess that is fine. Maybe it will take my mind off of it." She meant to mutter that last part to herself, but I could hear every word. It was probably because I was trying, but still.

Abby immediately went over to the small stack of games we had collected. Some Slink, Eve, or Sierra had gotten for us, but some we were "borrowing" from Mr. Gloom. I slunk in behind her, quietly nudging the door closed with my third tail.

I didn't say anything for a while. In fact it was after Abby had made her first move when I finally broke the ice. "So, you excited for tomorrow?" The Absol glared at me. "Sorry, but the deafening silence was getting to me. Come on."

Abby nodded. "I guess that is fair. Yeah, I am excited, especially since I've never celebrated in such a large town before. Back where we used to live, some vendors had been picked clean only an hour after the fireworks. I should have plenty of options this year, though."

"What'd it look like today?" I asked trying to nudge her closer to what I wanted to know.

"There are a few booths being set up, but only the larger ones. I'm sure most will set up tomorrow before the fireworks." She shrugged. "The market was really almost the same as usual."

"Sure," I said. I waited patiently, just a few more moves before speaking again. "So, what all did you get from the Market? Arceus knows I wasn't paying attention."

Abby's head snapped up to look at me. Her brow was furrowed, and her mouth was twisted into a snarl. "Vix, you said you weren't going to ask about it. You aren't being sneaky, I know exactly what you are doing."

"Abby please," I said, immediately dropping my act, "just tell me what is bothering you. I won't tell anyone else, I swear on my tails. This will just be a secret between you and me. Promise!"

The Absol glared at me for a minute more before her expression relaxed into her earlier sadness. In nearly a whisper she spoke to me. "I lost my mother's ribbon today."

I raised an eyebrow at her. Neither Absol had ever mentioned Abby's mother before. The one time Eve had brought it up, Sierra had dodged the question and he got very grumpy afterwards.

Abby remained silent, looking dejectedly down at her feet. I realized eventually that I would need to prompt her if I wanted any more information. I decided to start with the easiest question. "Abby, I've never seen you wear a ribbon before. I didn't even know you had one."

The Absol finally looked up, her eyes wide. "Good. Nobody else should even _know _about it. If my dad found out I had it, he would freak out."

"Why?" I asked incredulously. I couldn't imagine Slink or Eve being mad if I had had something of _my _mother's.

"It was really cool too," Abby continued, completely dodging my question, "it was a very pretty sky blue, but mother was also a painter. Oh, you should have seen her, Vix. She blunted her horn tip so she could use it to paint. She was so precise that she could even use it to write."

"She gave it to me for my birthday years ago. When we left, it was the only thing I had of her." She whispered the last part as if suddenly realizing how much she had just revealed.

"Why don't you want Sierra to know?" I repeated.

"I know he regrets what happened with my mom, and worse, he doesn't have anything to remember her by. He had to use his token from her to get us to the Fire Continent in the first place." She sighed. "Dad already freaks out whenever anyone mentions mom. Can you imagine how he'd react to a physical reminder of her?"

"Well, where'd you lose it?" I asked, trying to steer the question back into safer territory.

"The market," Abby groaned. "I don't know exactly where. I just know that when we went in I had it, and when we left it was gone. There was this Maractus who wasn't watching where he was going. He bumped into me, and his spines got caught in my fur. It was only after we got untangled that I realized it was gone, but I don't know if it was torn off or if it got stuck to him, or it just fell off."

She was practically in tears and I honestly had no idea what to say to her. So I did what Slink always seemed to do whenever Eve or I was upset. She was too big for me to pull her into a hug like Slink does, but eventually we found a comfortable place with her head on my shoulder.

"What a thing to happen. And only two days before the Festival." Abby groaned.

I was glad Abby couldn't see me as I rolled my eyes. Slink had told me all about the "Festival of Xerneas" last week, and honestly I didn't really get all of the hoopla. I was a fan of parties, don't get me wrong, but I still didn't understand what the gift exchange was all about.

"The Festival kicks off at sunset with a big fireworks show," Slink had said, "afterwards all sorts of stalls will open all around town. There will be food, and games, and music. There will also be little shops." He reached into his bag and handed me a small bag that jingled as it moved. I didn't need to look inside to know it had money in it.

"Traditionally there is a gift exchange the morning after the festival. You are supposed to get a gift for the Pokémon in your life who made the biggest impact on you in the last year." As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance over at Eve who was sitting at the kitchen table. "Vix, you don't have to give a gift to all of us, but you should give one to everyone you think deserves one. Okay?"

The Pokémon who made the biggest impact on my life? Really, that only seemed to apply to Slink. He had been the one to get me out of my cave. I knew for certain I wanted to get him something, but what? And who else should I get one for?

I was still pondering these questions as we went to bed that night, and through most of the next day as well. Then those questions smoothly transformed into nervousness as the Festival actually drew nearer.

As sunset drew nearer, Slink and Eve led us up to the roof of the Expedition Society. Kegan, Candice, Dimitri, and several dozen other Society Members and civilians alike were gathered there waiting for the fireworks.

As one of the tallest buildings in town we had the perfect view of the land south of the city where the Fireworks would be launched from. All around us we could see Pokémon gathered on other rooftops or some just in the middle of the street waiting.

**Boom**. I jumped nearly a foot as the first shell exploded overhead into ruby-red sparks. Slink laughed and put a comforting paw on my back, smoothing down my raised hackles and extinguishing the flames that had been sparked there from my reaction. "Sorry," he whispered to those around us, "she's new to all this."

Once the initial shock passed, the show was one of the most beautiful and exhilarating things I'd ever seen. With each earth-shaking boom the skies were filled with new stars. Blue, purple, green, red, gold. My favorite was the one that initially exploded into forest green before shifting to a blood red as the sparks slowly drifted towards the ground.

As we watched though, the random explosions seemed to come to life. Shimmering green stars reformed into glittering trees. Reds and blues became Pokémon, the explosions becoming moves as they battled in the heavens. I was in awe of the spectacular show from the moment it started to the moment it ended.

The grand finale took the form of a colossal tree with leaves of every color imaginable. Slowly as more and more fireworks added to the chaos up above the tree shifted into the form of a blue deer with elegant glowing antlers. It threw its head back, trumpeting a victorious bellow to the sky before it dissolved into a blinding white light that had me seeing spots for nearly a half hour afterwards. I enthusiastically joined in as the spectating crowd burst into applause.

My worries were forgotten for the moment as I drifted back downstairs following Slink. The others talked for a few minutes, agreeing that we would meet back at Society HQ in three hours. Sierra, Abby, and Eve split off right after that leaving me with Slink.

"Come on Vix," he said with a wide grin plastered on his face, "Madamè Swirlix opened up a cake stand just down the street. I saw it this morning." Considering I had never done this before, I decided to just tag along with him for the time being.

Turns out, Slink's favorite part of the holiday was the food. We had cakes, candies, cookies, and about a dozen more varieties of sweets. To be fair, Slink had stopped eating about an hour before me.

We did eventually take a break as Slink purchased a gift for Eve. He managed to get the paper bag into his shoulder bag just before the Espeon appeared. "Vix, you want to go with Eve for a while?" He shot the Espeon a look that seemed to add _because I need to get a gift for Vix. _

"Sure," I said. By that point I was nursing a major sugar rush so Eve and I did a circuit of the games. Because most of the games involved throwing, Eve wasn't really allowed to play, but I had fun. My favorite was certainly one where I had to throw balls at targets. Unfortunately they made me stop playing when I accidentally Ember'd a target by accident.

As I was leaving one game, we passed a booth that didn't seem to have much business. I could see why. There were only simple ribbons hanging all over the tent. There were all sorts of colors, but they were all a little plain, and very basic materials. It was only after I saw the shopkeeper, an older Smeargle, that I understood.

"I'll catch up with you later, okay?" I muttered to Eve as I wandered over to the stall. The Smeargle perked up as I walked over examining the different ribbons. "Pick a color you like dearie, and I'll paint whatever you ask onto it."

For nearly a minute I stood there trying to decide. "That one," I finally dictated, pointing at a pale red, almost pink, ribbon. It was almost exactly the same shade as Abby's fur. In a flash the Smeargle had snatched it from where it was hanging, her tail now in hand.

"And what on it?" She stood poised as I thought. What would Abby like? I wished I had seen her other ribbon, to give me at least some idea.

"It's for my friend. It's a shiny Absol. I don't really know what she would want." The Smeargle stood there for a moment, thinking. Then she moved. Three quick slashes with her paintbrush before she held up the finished product. In the middle of the ribbon, there was a Vulpix facing a shiny Absol. The Absol was sitting while the Vulpix was standing, both Pokémon looking at each other. It was fascinatingly detailed too. She hadn't had Abby as a model, but the Vulpix looked exactly like me. The little painted figure even had a tiny gold bracelet around one of its tails.

I had her add a few extra details to make the Absol absolutely perfect. Eventually though I paid and the Smeargle handed me the ribbon packed in a small paper bag. I was just about to walk off to try and find a gift for Slink, when something at the back of the tent caught my eye.

"Excuse me," I asked the Smeargle. I pointed at a small scrap of blue fabric I could see pinned to the top of the easel. "What is that? Can I see it?"

The very confused artist carefully unpinned the chunk of ribbon and placing it on the table before me. It was a beautiful sky blue, and despite the fact it was almost completely shredded, there was an unmistakable splash of dark blue paint. The same color as Sierra's skin. "I found it yesterday in the market. It's actually what gave me the idea for this stall."

"Is this it?" I asked desperately. "Did you find any more of it?"

The Smeargle shook her head. "Sorry, no. I only saw this scrap, and it nearly fell apart in my hands."

Damn it. This had to be Abby's ribbon. Was I going to come this close and not actually find it? "Where exactly did you find it?"

"I'm really not sure. I think I was around the _Dazzling Gleam._" I vaguely remembered that store. We'd walked by it once or twice between Society HQ and dinner. That was certainly outside of where the Festival was, but I had to look.

Soon I left the bright lights and loud voices for the slightly darker city streets. I wasn't afraid of the dark or of other Pokémon. I was nervous though, anticipating that I might not find this ribbon.

There were a few Pokémon here and there who were walking home from the festivities, but since I was headed into the Market section of the city and most of the vendors were still at the Festival, the crowds were thinning.

Eventually I found it. At night the shop would usually be lit by a large sign out front, but now it was dark and lonely. The owners must have been getting in on the festivities.

Now what? I looked around, but I didn't see any sort of ribbon or anything. The nearest street light was nearly half a block away though, so I had no idea how I was supposed to see the ribbon if it was even there.

I directed Fire into my tails until they began to glow with a faint red light. Just enough to see by without totally ruining my night vision. I swept them around me slowly, scanning the ground as it was illuminated. The entire time though I kept my unilluminated third tail, the one that clutched Abby's new ribbon, pulled up over my back so it wouldn't catch fire.

A cold breeze blew down from the mountains, making me pull my tails closer to me for just a moment. This Festival might mark the end of Winter, but that didn't mean it was warm. Unfortunately the gusts didn't stop. They tore down the streets, stirring up the trash and dirt they had accumulated during the day.

**Whoosh**, something shot right by my face. I only caught half a glimpse of it as it passed through my light, but I could clearly see it was blue. It had to be the ribbon. In the dim half-light I watched the wind carry it until it landed just outside the lamp light.

I trotted over, extinguishing my tails as I went. Just before I reached it, however, a stronger gust of wind blew past me and flung the small scrap of fabric even further from me.

I chased after it again, but the wind was still blowing and it carried the ribbon along with it. The longer the wind blew, the more powerful it grew. The ribbon was now flying high above the street, and I was forced to sprint in order to keep up.

I don't know how I made it through that night unscathed. I couldn't afford to lose track of the ribbon, so I ran with my face towards the sky. I nearly ran into a building or five but I was nimble enough to dance aside and keep running.

We both kept moving, traveling further and further East. I vaguely noted that I had reached the outskirts of town and that worried me a little. FestiveTown itself was about half a mile from the ocean where the Expedition Society's private Lapras port sat. I thought about the delicate paint the Smeargle had used on Abby's new ribbon. If the old one got wet, it would be ruined.

I could smell the ocean, I could see the moon and the stars reflecting off of it. The ribbon had floated even higher, I could barely see it against the sky anymore. I could feel wood against my feet, the dock. I wasn't going to make it. Then, at the last possible second the wind stopped. The ribbon started drifting towards the ground.

There was only one problem. It was over the water, ten feet out from the dock. I only had seconds. I dropped my bag, my entire body bursting into Flames. I'd seen Slink use this move several times, but I'd never attempted it myself. This do-or-die opportunity wasn't when I'd have preferred to try, but I didn't really have any other option.

The Flames raced through my muscles and veins, pushing me faster as I sprinted. The world seemed to slow around me as the end of the dock came into view, the ribbon just beyond it silhouetted against the moon. My front paws curled around the edge of the dock as I pushed as hard as I could with my hind legs.

My distance was good, but my height was off. As I reached the peak of my jump I was above the ribbon. In desperation I lashed out with one of my still-flaming tails and just managed to snag the ribbon. When I landed in the sea, I thrust my tail into the air while pushing down with my legs. There was a foul smell and a rush of steam as the water around me boiled instantly. Thankfully, through all of that I had saved the ribbon.

The water was cold. Thank Arceus I had been on Fire when I entered or I might not have made it out. Still, it was a close run thing as I dragged my sodden body back up onto shore. I uncurled my tail from the ribbon before I let my Fire out again. The water had weakened it, but eventually I was dry.

It was a hollow victory, but a victory nonetheless. I could feel excitement building in my stomach. I couldn't wait to see the look on Abby's face when I handed her the ribbon. Before that though I decided to check it over.

The moon provided just enough light to see by, and honestly I really wish it hadn't. The fabric I had ended up with was much smaller than the ribbon I had been chasing. The sky-blue surface was pitted and pockmarked with scorch marks. The edges had become darker blue where the fabric had melted before burning.

The painting on it though nearly made me start crying. It was of three Absol. A shiny red one in the center, and a blue one on either side. The one to the right of the shiny was perfectly intact and pristine, only the very tip of his tail had been burned away. It was unmistakably Sierra, that much I could tell. The other though must have been by the chunk that the Smeargle had had. That Absol had been almost entirely shredded, but she was also missing her head. Abby's mom was completely ruined.

_VIX! _Slink's shout rang through my head. Damn, how long had I been gone? At the very least I had missed the meet up.

I placed my scrap of ribbon in the bag with the other, before I began the walk back to town. The trek seemed longer now that I was walking. I was moving as fast as I could, but the inevitable disappointment I expected from Slink, Eve, and Abby were weighing me down. Honestly the longer it took, the more time I had to think of a cover story.

As soon as I entered town, I was surrounded by Society Members. Apparently after I vanished, Slink and Eve had feared the worst. Thankfully Kegan was there to call in the Society to help them look. The Team who found me, Team Chaos, quickly escorted me back to HQ where Slink and Eve were waiting.

Both of them looked torn between lecturing me and hugging me. Thankfully Slink was more inclined to the second one. "We were so worried. Vix, what happened? We thought the Hatred had taken you!"

"I'm sorry," I muttered, but I couldn't quite keep the defeat out of my voice. "You know I'm not used to that many people or that much light or noise. I got overwhelmed, so I decided to go for a walk around town. I didn't even think about it."

"I understand Vix," Eve said sternly, "but you can't just disappear on us!"

"I know," I said refusing to look up at her. If I saw the disapproval I knew would be written on her face, I would have started crying.

Slink's paw landed on my shoulder. "We can discuss this more tomorrow. Come on, it's late. We should go home."

As if I didn't feel bad enough, I felt another pit open up in my stomach. "Is the Festival still happening?"

"Not really. There are still a few stalls open, but most Pokémon have gone home for the night. Why?"

"Nothing," I said through gritted teeth. Oh no. I hadn't gotten a gift for Slink.

I don't think I slept at all that night. My stomach was tying itself into knots about what was going to happen the next morning.

Soon enough the inevitable came, and we were sitting in the living room in a loose circle. Apparently the tradition was that we'd start with the youngest, Abby in this case (thank Arceus), who would present their gift to whoever it was for. They would open it, and then it would be their turn to present the next gift. If someone didn't have a gift to give, the next person in the circle would be up.

Slink had three gifts by him, Eve had three as well. Sierra also had three, and Abby had only two. I felt insanely self-conscious with only the single tiny gift at my feet.

Abby kicked things off, giving her first gift to her dad. Honestly I didn't pay much attention to most of the exchanges. Unfortunately I was snapped back to reality as Slink handed me a bag. Inside was a collection of brightly colored beads that would snap onto the wires of my bracelet.

Unfortunately that meant it was my turn. Wordlessly I handed Abby her gift, watching anxiously as she pulled it open. At first, she seemed confused. The red ribbon hadn't gone entirely unscathed. There were a few melted spots on the edges and one had nearly gotten on the painted portion. As soon as she saw the painting, Abby's face lit up. Really she looked like she was going to cry.

"Thank you Vix," Abby eventually said, "I love it." The entire time, I was keeping an eye on Sierra. He tensed a little as he figured out what the gift had been, but he relaxed at Abby's reaction.

Once again, I lost track of things. Abby had the new ribbon, but I was dreading giving her the old ribbon. Eventually though Eve handed me a second gift and all eyes were on me again. "Uhh, I think I left the other one in my room. Abby, would you come help me get it."

I'm certain confused looks were thrown behind me as I got up, but I couldn't focus on that. Really, it was all that I could hope that Abby was following me. She didn't let me down. I could hear her soft footfalls behind me the entire way into the bedroom.

As soon as she was through the door, I pushed the door closed. I planted myself in front of it just in case one of the adults came looking for us. "We don't have much time," I muttered, "but I technically have something else for you."

She was confused, even more so as I bent a couple of my tails around until they reached my bracelet. I stretched them out, slowly pulling off the bracelet. Tucked in the bottom between it and my tail was the blue ribbon. As soon as she had it in her paw I looked away. I couldn't bear to see the disappointment or anger she was inevitably going to feel.

"Vix-" Abby's voice broke.

That did it. I was crying. "I'm so, so, sorry. I didn't mean to ruin it. I went looking for it last night, but the wind was blowing. I chased it through town, but then it flew out to the port. It was gonna hit the water. I barely managed to catch it before… but I was still hot and-"

"-Vix," Abby said firmly before suddenly her forelegs were around me, and we were hugging. "I never expected to see it again. Even like this, it is amazing."

"Really, you aren't…"

"Mad? Of course not. You gave up your first Festival for me. How could I be mad?"

"You're my best friend," I said into her fur, "I just wanted to help you."

"You did. So much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." She took a step back from me. She handed the piece of ribbon to me. "Would you do me one last favor. I can't exactly wear this anymore as is. Would you tuck this into my new ribbon?" She lifted up her left foreleg, offering it to me. I couldn't help but laugh. I hadn't thought through the color of the ribbon I had chosen. It blended so well into her fur that I wouldn't even notice it unless I was deliberately looking.

That done, she bounced back to her feet. "So where is this gift you needed help with?" I remained silent, my face twisting into a grimace. "You don't have one do you?"

"I didn't have time." I sighed, "It's fine, I can just tell them I lost it last night."

"Who was it supposed to be for?" Abby asked.

"Slink. After all he's done for me, he was the only one I knew for certain that I wanted to get a gift for." I shook my head. "Seriously, it's fine, Abby. He'll understand…I hope."

The Absol stood there, regarding me and biting her lip. Finally she nodded to herself before sticking her nose under her bed. She returned a moment later with a large paper bag in her mouth. She set it down at her feet before nudging it to me.

"This is what I was going to give to Slink. I left it in here because it was so big. I think though that he would appreciate it more coming from you."

"Abby, I can't. That's yours." I protested.

"Vix, I've seen how much he means to you and how much you mean to him. You have to give him something." She placed her paw on the bag. "This is something. Please, it is the least I could do for you."

I tried to protest, but she was leaving no room for arguments. She pushed past me, opened the door, and strutted back to the others, dropping the bag in my spot. "Sorry that took so long," Abby said. "Vix had a hard time getting it out from under her bed."

Abby had pulled the rug out from under me. Nervously I returned to my spot, not sure what else to do. "Vix," Eve cued as I just sat there, "who is this for?"

"Er, Slink," I muttered, hurriedly nudging it towards him. I could hardly breathe as Slink slowly unrolled the top. A puzzled look crossed his face as he saw the contents.

He levitated the contents out of the bag revealing...a stick. I glanced at Abby nervously. Was this a joke? She shook her head, indicating that I should look at Slink. He reached out with a paw and poked the floating stick. We all jumped back as the tip suddenly ignited at his touch. Hundreds of different red runes flared to life across its surface.

Slink had a face of total awe. "It's Aspen. Like my father's."

"But what is it?" Sierra asked.

"A wand. A retired Briaxen wand to be exact." He glanced at us, seeing our confused expressions. "When a Fennekin evolves into a Braixen, they are chosen by a stick that will become their wand. When we evolve into a Delphox, we can choose to retire our old wand and wait to be called by another wand."

"Delphox wands are much more powerful than Braixen wands, and far more useful for enchanting. Sometimes, especially in cities, Braixen wands are passed down through families. My sister had my mother's old wand, and I was supposed to get my father's."

Slink beamed at me. "I can't use this as a wand, since I'm not a Briaxen, but I love it. Thank you Vix, this is amazing!"

He walked over to me and pulled me into one of his hugs. As he held me I couldn't help but smile. I guessed I could get used to this holiday thing.


	3. Perfect End to a Terrible Night

_Hello everyone._

_Look, I didn't forget that this series exists! It's just been a while since I have had an idea I liked._

_This one is really just for fun. If you care about spoilers it takes place between chapters 16 and 17 of the main story._

_Hope you all enjoy._

* * *

Let's just say that the day didn't get off to the best start. And it didn't get any better from there.

For starters, our bathtub had sprung a leak in the middle of the night. None of us had noticed until, unfortunately Sierra entered the bathroom to get ready for the day. Eve and I were just finishing up breakfast, and the girls were in Sierra and Abby's room playing a game. when we suddenly heard a cry followed by a loud _thud_.

"Sierra, are you okay in there?" Eve called out immediately. Both of us kept an eye on the bedroom door. Vix and Abby didn't seem to have noticed yet, and neither of us wanted to worry Abby if we didn't need to. After a full minute though, Sierra still hadn't answered and there was no sign of movement behind the bathroom door. Eve and I nodded to one another. She mentally unlocked the door, but I was the one that slipped in.

It wasn't great. The Absol was lying on his side, his head resting in a puddle at the base of the tub. There was a chip in the lip of the tub where Sierra's horn had hit, but the jagged edge left behind also had a small smear of blood on it. The water around Sierra was slowly turning red from the slow trickle of blood coming from a gash just above his right ear.

_Call for help, _I immediately sent to Eve.

_Is it bad? _Eve replied anxiously. On the other side of the door, I heard footsteps as she ran to get the Expedition Gadget.

I tried to be as reassuring as possible. _It doesn't look too bad, but he is unconscious, and none of us are strong enough to move him. We're going to need at least some help. _Suddenly Sierra took a big shuddering breath, inhaling just as much water as air.

"Oh crap," I growled leaping forward. Thankfully he was still weak, so I was able to carefully take his horn between my teeth and drag his head out of the puddle.

The Absol continued to sputter and gasp, trying to push himself to his feet. He looked almost nauseous, unsteady even laying on the floor. "Wha-whas-whas happenin? Whymi onda for?"

I placed a paw on his back applying gentle pressure. "Just stay down, okay? Help is coming."

Speaking of which, only a minute later someone knocked on the door. "Slink, it's me. Am I okay to come in?" The voice was too deep for it to be Eve. It took me a second to recognize it. Kegan.

"Sure, just be careful. The floor is pretty slick." The Kadabra eased through the door, shutting it quickly behind him. As he shut it I could just see Abby rushing forward, her bright green eyes filled with worry.

Kegan knelt down next to us. He gently lifted Sierra's head, examining his small cut. "What happened?"

"He slipped," I answered, "and I think he hit his head on the tub"

"Concussion," Kegan said immediately. He held up his hand and snapped his fingers. A burst of Psychic energy filled the room, and suddenly he was holding a silver spoon. The Psychic energy didn't fade, growing even stronger in the presence of the spoon. Kegan crouched down, gently lifting Sierra's head. "Sierra, I need to do a quick test. Try to relax and just look at the spoon." The Psychic power increased until the spoon started to glow with a pulsing silver light. Kegan brought the spoon close to Sierra's left eye, his pupil instantly contracting. The Kadabra quickly moved to his right eye which, from what I could see, reacted similarly.

Kegan sat back. As he relaxed his hand the spoon vanished, and the Psychic power in the room faded. "Alright, that is reassuring. I still need to get him to Candice, she'll certainly want to run more tests." He turned to me. "I'll take him directly there. You should bring your team whenever you are ready." He eased the unconscious Absol into his arms. There was a powerful burst of Psychic before suddenly the pair were gone.

I carefully made my way out into the living room where the other three were waiting. Eve was sitting, her tail flicking nervously behind her. Vix was on the couch, and while she didn't seem anxious or concerned, her tails betrayed her as two of them drumbed softly on the cushions.

Abby on the other hand was a complete panicked mess. She was standing, pacing in a small circle. Her eyes were wide and her fur stood on end, making her look almost as big as Sierra. The second she heard the door open her head snapped around. She padded over quickly, almost sprinting before skidding to a stop before me. "How is dad? Is he okay? Slink, what is happening?!" Her voice cracked as she spoke, and thick black smoke poured from her body to pool like water at her feet.

Eve met my eyes as I carefully answered Abby. "Sierra slipped and hit his head, but Kegan says he is going to be fine. He just took him to the hospital so that Candice could give him a quick checkup. Once we are all ready, we can go see him." The young Absol didn't look reassured. There really wasn't much else I could do in the moment though, and the pool of darkness she was producing was starting to make me feel sick. "I just have to grab my bag and then I am ready? How about you all?"

Eve was completely ready, but Vix had to duck back into our room to grab her bracelet. As for Abby, she hadn't had any breakfast yet, but I think she might have burst into tears if she had to wait any longer. She was the first out the door.

Kegan was waiting for us outside of the Hospital, standing in front of the door like a guard. "Candice is just finishing up. She'll come and get us when she is finished."

We only had to wait a few minutes before Candice pulled open the doors. "Ah, you're all here. Excellent." She turned around, leaving the doors open as she waited for us to follow. That morning, the hospital was completely empty other than us. Sierra was curled up in the last bed on the left, his head resting on his forelegs. He looked fine, other than the small bandage around his head. As we approached, I could see a small red spot right above where the cut was. He lifted his head groggily as we approached, flashing us a slight smile.

Abby rushed forward, leaping up to place both her paws on the bed. "Daddy?"

"Hey Abs," Sierra said softly, he almost sounded sleepy. I suspected though that he was speaking quietly because of the headache he had to be nursing. "Sorry to scare you like this. Honestly, I don't even remember what happened."

I looked up at Candice. "How is he?"

She smiled, "Just a minor concussion dear. He should be fine in a couple hours but I would like to keep him under observation for a little longer, just in case. Also, if it isn't clear already, he won't be doing any missions today."

Eve bit her lip at that. She pulled the Expedition Gadget from her bag, tapping the screen a couple of times. "Honestly, I don't think it will matter at this point."

"What do you mean?" Kegan asked from the bed next to Sierra's. I hadn't noticed him sitting there before.

"The mission I had lined up for today is in a Dungeon a few hours north of here. I don't think we have time anymore to get up there and finish the mission before sunset. Besides, I don't think it is the greatest idea for us to go too far from town today."

Kegan nodded, chewing on the corner of his mustache thoughtfully. Then he sat up and pulled his own Expedition Gadget from his bag. "Hmmm, Light Thicket, right?"

Eve nodded. "Correct."

"Well, I can get another team on that job, but I'm not sure if I can find one for you guys to do today. There aren't that many Dungeons close to town, and even fewer would have an associated mission." He frowned, tapping the screen a couple of times. "There is one a few miles north of here, but I don't think it would work given your team."

Eve waved a paw dismissively. "At this point we'll take what we can get. I don't care what it is. We can just finish it and just be done for the day." She glanced at me. "Why don't we just go now? That way we'll be back sooner in case...something happens. Besides that gives us way more time to get ready for tonight."

I couldn't help but grin at Eve. We'd finally managed to get reservations again at _The Gogoat. _They had been full up for a few weeks now, really since the night Vix and I had been rescued from the Hatred. We were both looking forward to tonight, but we still had plenty to do first.

"Alright," I said. "We should get going. Abby, may I assume that you are going to stay here with your dad?"

She ducked her head. "Is that okay?"

"No problem," I smiled, "just as long as it is okay with Candice." The Blissey nodded, putting one hand on Abby's back, gently smoothing her fur.

I turned back to the other two. "Just the three of us, like old times huh?" This promised to be exciting, and it was. Right up until the moment when we realized just what we were in for.

We traveled North from town, veering slightly West the further we got. The land quickly grew more wet as we got closer to the sea. The ground was spongier, the air becoming choked with humidity. I kept looking at the Expedition Gadget over Eve's shoulder. To be honest I was worried that it was going to guide us _into _the ocean at this point. Eventually though we stopped in front of a line of trees, their limbs crossed with fluffy white moss.

"Stagnant Bog," Eve grimaced as she read the Dungeon name. "Sounds like a Water Dungeon. I'm not sure this is a great idea."

I looked up at the sky. Everything had been dreary and grey since that morning, but now the sky seemed to be getting darker. "The bandanna we are looking for is only three floors in right? Let's just hurry and we can be done for today."

If I had known exactly what was waiting for us in the Dungeon, I would have turned us all around and headed back home. There were no paths within the Dungeon, only trails of muck that were submerged just an inch below the stagnant water. Mud rose up to my chest with every step I took, the worst of it getting stuck in my fur and giving me thick socks along my legs that made walking even more difficult. Vix didn't even try to walk around on her own, instead choosing to ride on my back holding both Eve's and my bags so they wouldn't get soiled. She wasn't too difficult to carry, but given how much effort it took to just walk, I found myself reaching the limit of my endurance several times.

Worse, it seemed that there were more ferals than usual in the Dungeon, or perhaps it was just because I was already overwhelmed. Of course, because Arceus seemed to be testing us, they were all Water types. They weren't particularly powerful, but given their ability to emerge suddenly from the murky ponds, attack, and then vanish before we could retaliate they were impossible to fight. I tried to keep myself in Psychic, not only to sense wherever they were but also to shield myself and Vix from the bitterly cold bursts of Water they kept trying to bombard us with. My growing anger and frustration made me keep slipping into Fire though; the heat would harden the mud around my chest and legs, stopping me dead in my tracks.

The sky above grew darker as the day went on, the clouds growing angrier; rumbling their displeasure for all to hear. I couldn't help but feel nervous. We were surrounded by tall trees, knee deep in brackish water, and we didn't even have either of our Absol to warn us of the weather turning deadly. Considering it had only been a few days since the Enzo incident, I was especially wary of another storm.

Speaking of Enzo, Vix wasn't doing very well either. The nightmares had lessened, in both intensity and frequency, but they hadn't faded entirely yet. Her eyes were still a little sunken, and while last night had been a peaceful one, she still hadn't quite caught up on her sleep. I was particularly concerned however about her getting pelted with Water. The cold Water could be deadly to a Fire Type, and while that wasn't likely to happen I wasn't about to test her resilience. Most of my energy was invested in keeping her safe. A few stray shots did hit her though, the sounds of her coughing and sputtering after every blast making me flinch.

Finally we managed to locate the bandanna, although it was pretty much buried. We probably would have had to scour the floor inch by inch had Eve not tripped over it. To be fair though, whatever we went through that day it was at least a little worth it to see the expression on Kegan's face when we warped back to base a sodden, muddy mess.

"Are you guys alright?" Kegan said, stepping back a little to avoid the splash of mud that we had unfortunately brought with us.

"You know what Kegan," Eve said. Her violet eyes pretty much the only thing visible past the coat of mud covering every inch of her. "Would you please put a note in our file? We are never doing another swamp Dungeon, okay?" Eve turned, ready to stomp grumpily out of the room. She didn't get too far before she froze in place. "Hey Kegan, is there a place in HQ where we can get a bath?"

Damn it. I had forgotten that a broken bathtub had started off this _wonderful _day. I truly hoped that there was a bathroom we could use somewhere in the base. The prospect of spending any more time with mud caked into my fur filled me with dread. Thankfully, there were three open bathrooms in the base. I don't think I've ever been as happy as that day to change the bath over to Fire Type mode and slip into the tub of near-boiling water.

I was so relaxed afterwards that I almost didn't care that it had started to rain while we were inside. The rain was nowhere near as uncomfortable as the Water attacks had been, but it still made Eve and I nervous. Hopefully it wouldn't get any worse before we had to leave later.

When we got home, Abby was on the couch: head on her paws, half-watching the TV. She shot to her feet as soon as we walked in the door. "You guys are back."

"How's Sierra?" Eve asked, dropping her bag by the door.

"Fine," Abby answered happily before flinching. When she continued it was in a whisper. "Candice released him about two hours after you guys left. She said he is okay, but he went into the room because he had a headache. I'm trying to be quiet."

Eve gave a half-smile, glancing towards the closed door. "We'll try to keep quiet too." She glanced sideways at me. "We should probably make dinner before we head out. I doubt Sierra will be up to it later."

I nodded. "Give me a moment. Do you think it will take both of us?"

"Probably not," Eve grinned, "but come on it should be fun."

"I'm guessing Sierra is in with the g-games?" Vix asked the question like she already knew the answer, and was simply hoping she was wrong.

Abby grinned sheepishly. "Yeah. Sorry about that. We can watch TV though."

The two of them settled on the couch to wait, but I couldn't help but focus on the wet cough that had briefly interrupted Vix. I only hoped it wasn't a sign of things to come.

* * *

Fortunately, dinner went smoothly. Unfortunately, the cough was, in fact, a sign of things to come. As the evening went on, Vix's coughs grew in frequency and intensity. Her nose started running halfway through dinner, and she barely touched her food.

"Vix are you okay?" Eve asked as Vix's eyelids started to droop. She glanced at me nervously. "Dang it. Between the storm a few days ago, and the torture of today do you think she is coming down with something."

I got up from my chair, and walked over to Vix. I pressed the back of my left ear to her forehead, something my mother used to do whenever I was sick. "Oh," I pulled my ear away from her, "she's hot. Hotter than she should be, I mean."

"Crap," Eve muttered to herself, scrambling to find her bag. "I'm gonna call Candice."

"I'm pretty sure it's just a cold. She's more than exhausted and has been out in the rain twice in only a few days. She should be fine." I turned to the Vulpix. "Vix, do you want to go lay down for a little bit?" The Vulpix nodded sheepishly, looking like she was going to fall asleep at any moment. Honestly the lack of a sarcastic comment should have been reason enough to know she was sick. "Here, get on my back." I told her. "Eve, do you remember where we put the extra, fire-poof blankets?"

I covered the entire bed in the flame retardant fabric. Vix was running pretty hot, and the last thing we needed today was an accidental house fire. No sooner had I got the Vulpix settled did Eve enter the room, holding the Expedition Gadget in her tails.

"She'll be fine, Eve," Candice's voice rang from the device. "This sounds like nothing more than a cold. It is nothing a good night's sleep won't fix."

"Are you sure," Eve asked, "the way our day has gone I'm not willing to take chances. Morgrem's law seems to be loving us today. She's really hot."

"That's normal," the Blissey assured her. "Any virus that can affect a Fire Type already has to have a high heat tolerance. Her body can survive at much higher temperatures than any virus we've seen. It's just her body's way of fighting it. Trust me, it really is okay." Candice paused and another, deeper, voice crackled over the line. "Sorry, I have to go now. Call me again if you need anything."

Eve looked to me for reassurance. "I've been through this before. Vix will be fine. She just needs some sleep."

"Okay," Eve said, not sounding reassured in the slightest, "but I'm not sure that I'm comfortable going out tonight. What if she needs something?"

"Eve, this may be our only chance for a while to go to dinner. You know me. If I believed Vix was in any kind of danger you know I wouldn't leave her side for anything. Sierra is still here, and I'm sure Mr. Gloom would come and check in if we asked him to."

She still looked torn, but eventually nodded. "Sorry, I'm just worried."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Trust me, I know the feeling." I glanced up at the clock above the desk. "If we are going to dinner we should probably head out. We're running a little late as is."

"Don't worry, we'll make it. If you are ready I'll go talk to Sierra and you can go talk to Gloom. I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes."

* * *

Mr. Gloom was more than happy to help us out, and soon after we were finished talking, Eve trotted downstairs carrying her bag.

"You ready?" I asked, falling into step with her as we approached the door.

"I guess," she muttered, still openly carrying her worry. Using Psychic, she pushed the front door of the building open. "But still I-"

_**Boom.**_ Both Eve and I jumped as thunder shook the building, rattling the glass in all of the windows. "No, no, no, no,no!" Eve whined, staring out at the torrential downpour. "Slowpoke said it would hold out until ten tonight."

"Eve, it's fine." After the Dungeon today, braving this wouldn't kill me. For her I'd go out no matter how painful it was. "A little rain never hurt anybody." Of course, the moment after I said that, the world outside was lit up brilliantly with a pure white light. Thunder shook the world once again. "Lightning on the other hand…"

Eve stood there fuming as she stared out at the rain. For it moment it seemed like she hoped that the power of her anger could turn the storm. Then she turned back to me. "I knew we shouldn't have gone tonight. Come on Slink. There is still stuff left over from Abby and Vix's dinner."

"Come on, after the day we've had this will be good for us. It really is fine. Worse comes to worst, we just wait it out. It should pass in a little while."

"But our reservation is in twenty minutes; if we don't get there in time they might give our table away!"

"Eve, it will be fine. I promise." And so we settled in to wait. Five minutes passed, then ten. When the rain still hadn't stopped after fifteen, Eve started to get restless. After seventeen minutes, the thunder and lightning had stopped, but the rain had only lightened.

Eve glanced at me. "If we're going, we have to go now. We won't make it otherwise." Without another word, Eve grabbed my tail with hers, and dragged me out into the rain.

It wasn't that bad actually. Although that might have been because my body went numb halfway through the run. We were both thoroughly soaked by the time we made it to the restaurant, and if that wasn't enough, we were one minute late. That didn't seem to bother the Marowak maitre d. Now there was a Tranquill and a Staraptor sitting at our table.

We were cold, wet, and now dejected as we slogged back through the rain. Eve was hanging her head, her tail dragging along the ground behind her. Already her tail fur was matted with mud, and tangled with twigs an other debris. I rushed forward taking her tail in my paw so that it wouldn't get any filthier. Not for the first time that day, I was reminded that our bathtub was broken. The soggy Espeon didn't seem to care either way.

"Alright Eve, stop. Come on." I nudged her aside directing her into the doorway of the Expedition Society HQ. The lobby was empty at this time of night, and the room was strangely dark. I knew that I'd only need to call for Kegan if I needed anything, but for the moment I really just wanted to be alone with Eve.

After the whole Marowak situation, my inner fire was already boiling over. In just minutes my fur was nice and dry. Eve shook herself a few times, but she was still soaked to the bone. I stepped around her slowly, breathing hot air over her. It took a bit longer than I would have liked, but eventually her fur was as fluffy and warm as mine. Eve then settled in one of the comfy chairs Kegan had lined the lobby with. I then settled in the one beside her.

"Thanks for that. Much warmer when I'm dry. But honestly I just want to go home now. Let's just go to bed and hope that tomorrow isn't anywhere as much of a crapshoot as today." She laid her head down on her paws, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Hey come on," I said trying to make her feel at least a little better. "It could be worse, the Hatred hasn't attacked yet." She cracked a small smile at that, but didn't say anything. "Sorry about this. I knew we should have quit earlier."

"It wasn't your fault," she groused. "Come on, don't blame yourself."

"I know. I just...I wanted to have a fun night, and now it is ruined. And Arceus knows we don't get many opportunities to do this." I rolled onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. There had to be something fun we could do tonight.

"Alright then," Eve said after a few minutes, "I think the rain has slowed at least a little bit. Want to run for it?"

Before she could even stand up, I threw my tail in front of her. "Wait, I...I think I have an idea. I just need to check on something. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Ten minutes later I was back. "Slink, what are you doing? Come on, let's just go home. We can try again next week."

"Not yet," I protested. Everything was going to work out, I just had to get Eve on board. "Eve come on. I've got a surprise for you." Reluctantly she got up, stretching before following after me. "Actually, grab my tail and close your eyes."

"Really?" Eve smirked. Still she closed her eyes and reached out her tail for me to guide her. Together we traveled up the stairs, higher than we had ever been before. Past the hospital, past the offices of the researchers, to the top of the Expedition Society. As we crested the final staircase, I had Eve wait at the base as I double checked my work up above.

"Okay Eve, come up here." My heart started beating faster and faster as Eve ascended the stairs. I hoped that this would at least make up for how lousy the night had been so far. Eve glanced around in wonder at the setup I had created in the empty observatory. The blankets from a couple of hospital beds were spread across the floor, covering over a dozen pillows that created a cozy nest. A dozen or so candles I had borrowed from the library burned around the place, filling the huge dome with a cheery yellow light. I'd take credit for the romantic atmosphere, but they were only there because I couldn't find the light switch.

"Slink, it's…" Eve said in awe. "You didn't have to-"

"But I did. Come on, get over here." She trotted over to me, curling up on the nest happily. As she settled, I reached into my bag, and dumped a dozen Oran berries onto the pillow next to Eve. Meanwhile I had procured eight pecha berries for myself.

Eve stared at the berries, then at me. "Slink, where did you get these?"

"The Hospital," I shrugged. "Candice has a stash that she uses to make serums. The stock of medicine was full. I'll run by the market tomorrow and replace them. But tonight, let's just enjoy ourselves." I shot to my feet with a start. "Oh, I almost forgot."

I ran to the back of the room where there was an electrical panel. I had checked it over when I had set up the room. I wasn't an expert, but I felt almost certain I knew enough for what I wanted to do. There, I tapped the button labeled _Night Sky. _Overhead the huge dome rotated with a screeching-grinding noise while the telescope collapsed itself, folding into the floor. Suddenly it was pitch black inside the room except for my candles.

Then a bright, blue-white speck appeared high above. Then another. Then another. I sent out a pulse of Psychic, just enough to move the air. All of the candles were extinguished, but the room wasn't completely dark. The starfield above provided just enough illumination to see by.

Eve was staring up at the stars, their light reflected in her eyes. "It's incredible," she whispered as I settled next to her.

"You've always lived in a city, huh. Never had a good view of the night sky." '

Eve rolled her eyes at me. "I've been camping before, and we travel all the time." She shrugged. "I guess I never really paid attention."

"Well sometime we need to go out by lake Ogon and watch the stars. I used to do it with my dad and sister all the time. We would lay on this beautiful grassy hill by our house and he would teach us the names of the constellations and their stories."

"I know of a few constellations," Eve said, looking at the stars, "but I don't think I've ever heard stories about them."

"You read all the time and have never heard of these?"

"I don't know everything." She grinned. "Well we are here, why don't you tell me about them."

I smiled at that, but where to start? I reached out with my Psychic to the simplest formation I knew, highlighting a cluster of seven stars arranged like a long cross. "This one is the Gigas. Named after a race of giants that shaped the very Earth with their power. The story goes that the oldest and most powerful of them, Regigigas, created the others. However they tended to wander from their birthplace, their home. Eventually they all were lost, scattered across the many continents completely unaware of where home even was. Regigigas called on the other Legendaries, and they rearranged the stars to hang above the Gigas' home. Now if any of them got lost again, they needed only look to the skies to find where they belong."

"How about that one?" Eve asked. I looked to where she was pointing to find a group of bright stars with a trail of slightly dimmer ones.

"That's the great meteor. Thousands of years ago it nearly crashed into the planet. Legends say that a human appeared and with the help of Rayquaza destroyed the meteor. The human was lost, but Raquaza hung those stars in the sky above the Air Continent as a tribute to that first human." I looked around, finding a few other constellations. "Actually most of the Continents have one of those. The Great Time Gear, the Bittercold, the Tree of Life. None on the Fire or Sand Continents yet. Probably a good thing. We don't need another world ending event."

Eve shook her head. "So, any more constellations that aren't tributes to averted apocalypses?"

"Well the majority of them are the marks of legendaries: the Dreamers, the Crest of Arceus, the Soaring Twins, and technically the Tree of Life is a symbol of Xerneas. Of course," I paused for a moment, looking around the room trying to find some of the ones I named, "those stars have a tendency to migrate."

"Wait, they move? Why?"

I shrugged. "Legends say that they mark the location of their corresponding legendary. Many of them make their homes deep within powerful Dungeons. If a Pokemon needs to find them, they can just follow the stars. It doesn't happen very often, but whenever a legendary moves to a new home, the constellations follow them so they may still be found." I glanced around again, and smiled as I found the pattern I was looking for. "For example, that one, the Child, is for Mew. It used to hang above the Grass Continent, but in the last century it has been mostly seen over the Water and Fire Continents."

We continued on like that for a while. Eve would point at a constellation, and I would tell her its story. Eventually though we had exhausted all of the ones my father had taught me. We simply laid back on the pillows, watching the artificial sky. "Thanks Slink," Eve whispered as she nuzzled against me. "This was perfect." Overhead a shooting star streaked across the sky.

Overall the perfect end to an all around terrible day.


	4. Fleeting Fatherhood

_It's me, deerestlove (or "love" if you know me on discord). Enzo is an interesting character in The Dreamstone, but he doesn't get much time in the spotlight, so I thought it would be cool to depict some of his backstory in a short little oneshot. I felt like this story would fit in well with the rest of the side stories in this series, and fortunately, Slink34884 was fine with publishing it as such. Be advised that my interpretation of Enzo and Vix may differ somewhat from canon._

_Anyway, happy reading._

* * *

Most 'mon associate theft with poverty, with cardboard homes and dark alleys littered with trash and old needles. It's a fair conception; little exists by way of law enforcement on the outskirts of the larger towns, where there's all the incentive to steal.

But there's not enough to take in the slums—at least, not if you want to feed two mouths. And I didn't have Rose's knack for hunting and trapping, nor her instincts on wild herbs and berries. She had tried to teach me a few times, walking me along the mountain's sun-baked stone that matched the color of her tailtips, gesturing casually with her tails at little weeds and shrubs with indistinguishable leaves. Plant identification was never in my blood, but I had tried to learn. I wish I'd tried harder.

Now, instead of walking beside my beloved, I found myself crouched under a thick ornamental hedge, staring down a marble mansion with harsh corners and windows that gleamed in the moonlight like sharpened steel. Shrubs lined the path to the front door, all trimmed into neat little cubes, and I heard water bubbling from the fountain behind them.

What I didn't hear, though, were chimes. I had been casing this joint for the past three weeks, off and on between other chores, and if I waited long enough I could always just hear the hourly chime of the grandfather clock inside. This time I was sure I had waited for more than an hour, but still I heard nothing, and I hadn't seen anyone go in or out.

I thought of the things I would buy. Jerky, certainly. Salt, tinctures. Maybe I could get something special for Vix. She really liked those candied chesto berries I stole last month; there must have been a stand around that sold them.

I crept out from under the hedges and looked around, even though I'd been doing that for the past hour and a half or so. No one cried out. Nothing moved. I slinked across tidy mulch, and soon reached the shrubs that lined the path. I squeezed between two of them, catlike, and emerged onto a stretch of smooth tile. I walked carefully so my claws wouldn't click against the stone.

Going in the front door wasn't my usual approach, but I had a key, courtesy of one of the servants I had tracked into town and pickpocketed, and it would have been a shame to let it go to waste. I fished it out of one of the four bags around my torso as I approached the front steps. The door was wide, and its rounded glass panes with lacy designs were begging to be shattered. Instead I stood up on my hindlegs, looked around once more for good measure, and then used the key. Then I got back down and silently eased the door open.

A familiar disorientation swept me over as I stepped inside and took everything in. Two staircases on opposite sides of the foyer curved out and back toward the center as they ascended, forming a shape like a gaping maw. To the left, a living room with sofas, a TV, and brocade carpet. To the right, a study with a large oak desk and chair, books shelved along the wall, and a tall window facing me. I headed there first, took a quick glance at the books—some of them were valuable, I was sure, but hell if I knew which ones. I turned instead to the desk and searched the drawers. Pens, office supplies, little of note—except the last cabinet, which contained a nearly-full bottle of whiskey and a pack of cigars. I put these into one of my bags, and searched the rest of the room before backing out into the foyer again.

Rare stones or jewlery would be ideal, in theory, but those tended to be kept under lock and key, and I didn't feel like pushing my luck. Alcohol, on the other hand, was almost as valuable, and a lot easier to acquire. Besides that, I knew who I'd sell it to.

I stepped between the two staircases, into the reception hall, and raised my nose into the air as I did. I couldn't smell the alcohol itself, but there was the faint, dusty scent of dried grains, which I followed forward, then to the left through a relatively modest lobby, and then into the kitchen. I wasn't especially tall, even for a quadruped, but I could just see the tapered glass of bottlenecks in the cabinets along the walls, above dark granite countertops. I leaped on top of one, set down my bags, and opened the cabinet.

I knew liquor better than I knew books, and I grinned when I realized what I was looking at. Starlight wine and milagro brew, both unopened. Nearly worth their weight in silver. Behind these was some sailor's vodka—cheap filler—and then sitrus-and-razz brew and hondew berry sangria that were probably worth five figures together. My mouth watered at the heady scents as I laid them down in my bags.

A soft crunch like a wet branch snapping broke the silence, and I froze. Without moving my head I glanced to the left, through the window. Moonlight glimmered off the pool in the backyard, providing ample illumination. I didn't see anyone, but nonetheless I put on my bags and leapt off the counter. The bottles clinked as I hit the ground, and I cursed silently at the noise. There was an island in the center of the kitchen, and I kept it between me and the windows as I retraced my steps.

I didn't like that someone had come in through the backyard. Briefly I entertained the idea that it was another thief, but that would have been too fortunate. More likely I had tripped some alarm, and law enforcement had warped in to surround the place.

I slinked through the lobby and peeked out into the foyer, head tilted down so that my eyes came before my snout. Ghostly blue light and spindly shadows crept toward toward me through the front door's glass like a spreading stain. I bolted across the foyer before they could reach me, and this time I couldn't stop the click of my claws. I had to hurry. Escaping to the west was my best shot—it would take me farther from the enforcers' station and closer to home. My heart roiled with contempt for the enforcers—the bastards couldn't be satisfied with simply scaring me out of the house or demanding surrender. Oh no. They had to surround me, capture me, like it was some kind of sting operation. They probably thought they were real hot shit.

There were two doors in front of me; I entered the one that was open. It led to a gallery with eggshell walls and paintings I didn't look at. My eyes fixed on the window at the end, straining for any hint of blue light but seeing none—yet.

I leaped and turned the sash lock on the window before I had even settled on the sill. Then I grabbed the rail in my mouth and lifted. The dusty sound of wood against wood. The enforcers might have heard it, if they knew to listen.

I slipped onto the grass like water and trotted toward the hedges that surrounded the yard. If I could make it past those I could make it to the river, and it would carry me to town. There, I could become a face in the crowd.

Blue light filled my vision, and my right eye teared up. I turned my head, and faced a massive zangoose and his luminous orb.

"Over here!" The zangoose gestured and took off after me.

I knew I could outrun my pursuer (his arms pumped wildly as he ran, like he'd learned from cartoons), but still I felt a sting of guilt, a bitterness like burnt jacoba. A good thief didn't rely on speed, because he didn't need to outrun someone. Even now I still didn't know what had tipped these guys off.

I slipped between the hedges and changed direction right away. I had a few precious seconds before I'd have eyes on me again, and I needed to make them count. There was a rock wall around the yard, so I leaped over that and then followed it north a ways; swept around a stack of firewood; darted between stray shrubs. Footsteps thumped behind me, and thankfully they hesitated for a moment before heading my way. The enforcers were probably going by scent, now; a dark type at night was hard to see at even just a few meters away, and there were pockets of shadow across the uneven terrain that their lights didn't illuminate.

I paced myself so that I didn't have to slow down as I neared the river. The current was quiet but swift and shredded the moonlight on its surface. I slowed down a little as I neared the water, sneaked behind a shrub, and took a few deep breaths to slow my heart.

It did occur to me, in a fleeting moment of lucidity, that this might be a dangerous idea. But by now I was committed. I sucked air into my lungs until it hurt, then slipped, serpentlike, into the water. The current hit me like a tauros; I lost sense of where I was as I tumbled and flipped and fought against the weight of the booze. I couldn't think about curling up, or looking around, or turning away from the rock that was rushing toward me.

* * *

The stone of the mountains was fractured like a misassembled puzzle; my paws had been bloodied by its jagged edges, blistered by its heat. I cursed my dark fur, which by now was so hot that even the insects didn't want to touch it. _I ought to give it up for the day_, I thought.

But then a breeze picked up, and I caught something. I jerked my nose up and sniffed. The scent was smoky and spicy, like roasting ginger. My ears and tail pricked up, and I turned my head slowly as I sniffed again. The scent was coming from the east, uphill. I resisted the urge to break out into a run as I went after it; the bleeding paws helped with that. My head swam as I thought of what would happen when I found Rose. How would I explain myself? Would she understand? Would she resent me?

I followed the scent until I reached a narrow cave, a gash in the mountain's hide. My legs trembled as I stopped before the opening. "Rose?"

The pokemon that emerged was small and thin, and her fur was bedraggled. She walked stiffly, as though in pain. She wasn't Rose, but she had the same scent and the same sharp snout. Her gaze was as hard as the stone beneath my paws, even with the bags under her eyes. Her voice was quiet but sharp.

"Rose is gone."

* * *

When I woke up it felt like my head was split in two, and with the blood all over my snout, I figured maybe it was. I groaned as I opened my eyes; the sunlight burned. My lower half was wet, though, still submerged in the river. I had been caught between two rocks by the bank on my way downstream, such that my back paws just barely touched the silty riverbed. I wiggled my way free and waded awkwardly to shore.

The first thing I did was check my bags, and I thanked god above when I saw the bottles were still intact (even if their labels were too soaked to recognize). Bottlers tended to use thick glass for the more expensive brews, so it was a good thing I had been greedy.

I lost a lot of my food in the current, however, and all of my poke. And given the heat I was sure to have on me right about now, heading to the nearest town was a bad option, anyway. My best bet for now was to head home and recuperate.

I didn't look forward to the walk.

* * *

"Hey, lllitttle viixen," I slurred as I stumbled past Vix and into the den. I collapsed halfway in.

Vix shot me a look. "The hell have you been up to? Getting drunk?"

She had a sharp nose; she could smell what I was carrying. I nodded. "Nnot on the booze, though. Onn head traauma."

"Right, sure," she sighed, and from the bluntness of her voice I could tell her sarcasm was feigned. She grabbed an earthenware bowl from the back of the den and walked past me. "Stay here a moment," she said. As though I could be bothered to move.

Vix returned a minute later and set her bowl down carefully. The steam that rose from inside smelled citrusy and bitter. "Drink that, once it's cooled."

"Thhank you. Hoow you been holdin' up, kiid?"

Vix shrugged. "Better than you, I guess. We should be well stocked on herbs now. I'm hungry as hell though—I was hoping you'd come back sooner. I barely caught anything yesterday." As though to make up for the bitterness in her voice, she began to groom my head. Her tongue was hot, and she used firm strokes like Rose used to.

"Sorrry. Had a lot to do. I'll be around more the next few daays, once I sell the boooze."

"Oh, so you weren't going to drink it?"

I grumbled. "How'd yoou even know whaat alcohool smells like, anyway?"

"…Learned from someone I used to know," she said, and then she licked my muzzle sharply as though to cut off any response. She was talking about Rose—I should have known.

The tea was cooled by the time Vix had cleaned all the blood off my fur, so I went and lapped it up. The leaves were kind of frilly, like cilantro, but they didn't taste like it at all. It was some medicinal herb. Hell if I knew which one.

"You feel any better?" Vix asked once I had finished.

"Nooot yet. I gotta sleep it off."

Vix gave a long sigh. "I suppose you'd like me to shut up, then."

"Do as you pleease. It's your home tooo…"

She continued to groom me in silence. I felt a little guilty.

* * *

That joke I made about being drunk wasn't too far off; I was nauseous when I woke up, and my mouth was dry like a hangover. Despite that, though, my head was clearer than yesterday. It took a few seconds before I noticed the warmth at my side, and I didn't need to look to know what it was. I did anyway. Vix slept just like Rose, curled tight with her face tucked under her tails. It had only been a few months since I had met her, but despite that, I felt like I had known her for a long time.

The sun slowly burned away the morning mist outside our den, and it grew hot. I kept still for as long as I could bear, but eventually my head started to ache from thirst. I got up as carefully as I could, but Vix stirred anyway. I wondered if she hadn't been awake, after all.

"Sorry," I muttered.

"It's fine…" Vix stood up and yawned loudly. "You gonna get some food today, or what?"

I really just wanted to drink some water and go back to sleep, but instead I shambled toward the den's exit. "I will. I'll be back this evening."

Vix followed me. "Hold on just a minute—you never told me what happened yesterday!"

I picked up my pace. "Too much."

* * *

Zorro was leaned crookedly against the jamb of the front door. "You look like hell," came the zoroark's husky voice. His smile was contagious, an invitation to laught at my own misfortune.

Instead of doing that, I slipped past him and sighed. "That how you greet everyone?"

"Just the folks I like."

"Charming."

We walked into the living room. Satin curtains were drawn over the windows of the left wall, and I sat down in front of the coffee table so that they were just behind me. I didn't fear Zorro, but I still felt better being close to an exit. Old habits die hard.

I took the booze out of my bags and put it on the coffee table. Zorro laid down on a maroon-colored chaise lounge on the opposite side and eyed the bottles with interest. "My my, what have we here?"

"You'd know better than I do. Figured you'd want the wines, at least."

"You figured correct." He smiled. "What's your price?"

"20,000 for both. I like round numbers."

The arch of Zorro's eyebrows spoke to a mild amusement. "You can take less than that, can't you?"

"I can do a lot of things. I can walk away."

Zorro's laugh was deep and thick. "That you can, Enzo, that you can." He composed himself, and then leaned over his crossed arms and looked pointedly at me. "You have to admit you're highballing a little, though."

I sighed. "19,000, then. That's about three quarters of retail."

"Mm, roughly, yes. I suppose I could do that." Zorro's tone of voice was that of someone who was granting a favor.

Zorro stood up and walked through the doorway in the back of the room. He returned with a coin purse in one hand and two curvy glasses in the other. He set the latter down on the counter, and then started counting coins from inside the former. "You don't want all of it now, do you?"

I hesitated for a moment. "I'll take it all." In case I wound up having to leave Vix soon, I wanted to at least leave some cash behind.

Zorro shrugged. "As you wish."

Zorro put a stack of coins on the counter and slid it over to me like a casino dealer. I counted the coins up. "Appreciate it," I said.

"Sure thing." Zorro opened the milagro brew and started pouring it into one of the glasses. "Now, it would be rude to indulge by myself. You want to try a little?"

I laid down. "Thanks, but I'm in no shape for it now. Wouldn't do my head any favors."

He tilted his head. "Yes, I should ask about that. You wouldn't mind telling me what happened, would you? I'm curious."

I was silent for a moment, the sun hot on my back through the sliver in the curtains. "…I'm fucked."

Zorro sputtered silently on his wine—I almost didn't notice. "What makes you say that, friend?"

"Got that booze from Lucio, but I must have triggered some alarm. I had to run from the enforcers. They saw my face. And with that fucking polywrath on my ass…"

"The enforcers might not catch you, but he will. He's bound to find out, and he'll put two and two together."

I nodded weakly. Zorro's expression softened with pity, but it was a distant sort of pity. The kind someone might feel watching a sad movie. "Sorry, buddy. You really should have retired, huh?"

"Can't. Stealing is all I can do."

"Pity." He took another sip of his wine, and then looked at me again with renewed composure. "You know, you look about ready to fall asleep."

I stood up unsteadily. "Right. Probably will if I stay any longer."

"Hm. I'd let you stay, but it could get me in trouble, you know. Harboring a criminal."

"It's fine, I have to go anyway. Vix is hungry." I walked past the coffee table, past the lounge, and up to the front door. I paused for a moment before the harsh sun outside. "Thanks for your patronage."

Zorro spoke softly, like a breeze. "Just try and stay out of prison."

* * *

Vix stood at the entrance to the cave, eying me sharply. "You stock up?"

"Sure did." I headed inside the cave with her, and dumped my bags on the ground. "I got jerky, chesto berries, oran, crackers-"

Vix opened the flap of one of the bags and stuck her nose inside. She tore open the cardboard packaging of the jerky, and then ripped off a strip. She chewed loudly, with her teeth showing, like a feral.

"Easy, little vixen," I scolded. "Don't eat too fast. You'll throw up again."

She slowed down a little, and I watched her worriedly. Her eyes were unfocused as she ate, trancelike. Within a minute she finished a strip of the jerky about the size of one of her tails, and only then did she stop to rest. She was panting as though she had run for miles.

"Little vixen-"

"I know, Enzo. I'll stop."

"Just for a little bit. It'll last longer that way."

Vix nodded and then laid down. It's good she was a fire type; it would have killed me to be in the sun like that. I approached and groomed the fur on her head like she had done to me.

"I can groom myself just fine, you know."

"Not the top of your head, you can't."

"Still looks better than yours."

"That's not the point."

Vix closed her eyes and exhaled resignedly. "You never talk about yourself," she said at length.

"Because I don't like to." _Because there's nothing good to say._

"Well, it's boring. Couldn't you at least tell me what happened yesterday?"

"…I got into a fight," I said. It was almost true.

Vix's ears perked up. "What pokemon? Did you win?"

"Zangoose. He was tough; I hung onto his back for a long time before he went down. Used thunder fang to stop him thrashing."

"Wooow," Vix said, her voice arcing. "That's really cool. Maybe-"

My heart warmed at her admiration, like it hadn't in a long time—but I kept my head on straight. "It's not cool. Fighting is something to avoid—it's risky and wastes energy. If you find yourself in a situation like that, it's better to run if you can."

Vix snorted. "That's lame. I'll get stronger someday, even stronger than you—then I won't need to run."

I opened my mouth to tell her that she was being foolish, but hesitated. "…Just be careful in the meantime," I said. "You can't get strong if you die."

"I know that!" she snapped, and then recoiled as though surprised by her own outburst. She cleared her throat, and her face turned sheepish. "Sorry, Enzo. You're right. Thanks for the advice."

I hadn't expected that reaction, but I continued grooming her without comment. Once done, I shambled to the mouth of our den and collapsed as soon as I entered the shade.

"You good?"

"Yes. Just tired."

Vix walked over and curled up beside me. My dreams were full of blue light and raging water, and going by her tossing and turning when I woke up, Vix's weren't any better. I thought of comforting her, but I didn't want her to start relying on me any more than she did already. I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be able to stick around.

The answer, as it happened, was "not long."

* * *

That I smelled something unfamiliar on my way home wasn't unusual; what bothered me was that the same unfamiliar scent kept hanging around. It was piscine, though not as musky as an oshawott, and it came from the stream to my right. I ventured toward it, swiveling my head, but all I saw were the pale red rocks and sparse vegetation. Not exactly a ton of places to hide; even the streambanks weren't very deep.

I peered into the water and scanned for movement—and then glimmering blue burst in the corner of my eye. I turned to face a jet of frothing water as large as I was, and the shadow ball was only partly formed in my mouth by the time it reached me.

Sharp rocks jabbed into my back as I tumbled head over tail, toward a bend in the stream behind me. My head splashed into the water as I came to a stop and wound up half-submerged. The rushing wetness and pain reminded me of my impromptu swim just last week.

I raised my aching head and glimpsed my attacker through blurry eyes. Three fins on its head, one ringed around its neck. It slithered back underwater, and I knew it would close the distance quickly.

I took a breath and focused. I hadn't actually tried thunder fang in a long time, but I didn't like any of my other options. I channeled electricity into my mouth, and my teeth sparked yellow as I submerged them.

The water lit up and crackled like a sparkler, bright enough to burn afterimages into my eyes. A sharp trill rang out as the vaporeon arced out of the water, and its legs buckled underneath it when it hit the ground. Its muscles were rigid, the bulge of its shoulder pronounced and trembling—I had been lucky enough to paralyze it.

I nearly lost my own feet as I stood on the slippery bank, but I found purchase on a piece of jagged stone. I hopped out of the water, and darkness swirled around my mouth as I prepared a shadow ball.

But then a flash of blue shot out from the water beside my target, and I growled in frustration. Same fins, same long tail. Another vaporeon. I redirected my attack toward it, and water hissed as it opened its mouth to parry—but it wasn't enough. The shadow ball struck, and the vaporeon tumbled backward much like I had just moments ago—but unlike me, it landed on its feet and regained its balance quickly. And by now its friend had regained control of its limbs, and was slowly standing up.

Two against one wasn't my kind of odds, and for all I knew there were a dozen more vaporeon dissolved in the water. I turned around, leapt over the stream, and booked it. My head and shoulders ached from the attack that had hit me, and I bled in places where rocks had pierced my skin, but I still had faith in my legs. If I was good at anything, it was running.

* * *

By now I was somewhat used to the mountain's terrain, so my paws were only bleeding a little by the time I stopped. I hid myself away beneath a crack in the mountain's stone, by a branch of the stream that was too small for a vaporeon to occupy.

I had led the two vaporeon a good few miles away from my den, away from Vix, before picking up the pace and losing them. By the typing and lack of enforcement badges, I was sure they were polywrath's henchmen—sure enough to move out, anyway. To ditch Vix.

The thought hit me hard now that I had the time to think it. I considered backtracking to the den under the cover of night, but what was the point? I had enough supplies for now, and I wanted to leave the money with Vix anyway. It wasn't worth going back and endangering her just to say goodbye.

I laid in the darkness, nose full of damp, stale air. The dusk sky was colorless and too cloudy for stars, and the sound of the wind as it whooshed through cracks in stone was low and desolate. I found myself listening for Vix's breathing and wondering why I didn't feel her warmth beside me.

_I'll come back for her,_ I resolved. _I'll track her down once it's safe—or I'll die trying._


End file.
